Dr. Amanda Yale Named New Associate Provost at SRU

SPOTLIGHT

LEADS TO
NEW POSITION AS ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR ENROLLMENT SERVICES AT
SRU

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Dr. Amanda Yale’s team leadership,
which included attention to increasing enrollment, retention and
service to students, has resulted in her being named associate
provost for enrollment services and retention at Slippery Rock
University. The promotion followed a national search to fill the
post.

Yale,
who joined SRU’s faculty in 1985, had served as interim since
it was created in 2000. The position reports to the provost and
vice president for academic affairs and is charged with overseeing
integration and development of the university’s undergraduate
and graduate enrollment management efforts designed to increase
enrollment, retention and learner success in a seamless
environment. Yale will be responsible for managing the departments
of Academic Records and Summer School, Academic Services, Retention
Services, Admissions, Career Services, Financial Aid, Graduate
Studies and the Office of Students with Disabilities. She will also
handle enrollment management priorities and work with faculty and
administrative staff to sustain a culture focused on enrollment
management principles.

Yale’s
efforts were recognized nationally in 2003 when SRU was one of nine
universities in the nation cited for an exemplary student retention
program by Noel-Levitz, a nationally recognized consulting firm in
higher education student recruitment and retention. The firm
praised SRU for increasing its first-year to second-year retention
by 3.5 percent for program participants in one year and more than
10 percent for at-risk and students of color. Over a two-year
period, retention increased about 8 percent.

“Under
Dr. Yale’s leadership SRU has seen remarkable increases in
both enrollment and retention and has been the recipient of several
national awards for its success in these areas,” explained
Dr. William Williams, interim provost and vice president for
academic services. “Programs she has developed and
implemented have resulted in Slippery Rock University posting its
all-time high in enrollment this fall and our retention numbers are
continuing to steadily improve. We welcome her into this new
leadership post, knowing she brings the necessary experience and
strategic planning abilities to bring even further
success.”

Yale,
who holds a bachelor of arts degree from King’s College, a
master of education degree in counseling from Lehigh University and
a doctorate in education administration from University of
Pittsburgh, brings 20 years experience to the post, including
service as instructor, assistant professor, associate professor in
the university’s academic support services department area
prior to being named interim director in enrollment services. She
and her family make their home in Zelienople.

Her
most recent work has included work with the Pennsylvania State
System of Higher Education’s strategic plan and performance
outcomes indicators, which set mission goals and objectives for
each of the 14 state system universities. She has also been
instrumental in promoting an all-university attitude of support for
delivering enrollment services to current and potential students.
She has applied research efforts in tracking student initiatives in
SRU’s newly implemented FYRST Seminar program, all part of
programmatic student retention efforts.

SRU
launched an extensive recruitment, enrollment and retention program
under the leadership of then-Provost and Vice President for
Academic Affairs Robert Smith who was recently named president.
Enrollment had seen an eight-year decline to 6,803. Following
implementation of programs, many conceived and led by Yale,
enrollment has steadily increased for the past five years to stand
this fall at 7,928, up 1.8 percent over a year ago. Credit hours
being attempted by students are also at record
levels.